Well, we all get another chance to critique a
new flavor...http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=298&articleid=20090206_298_0_Theini3800Officials rethink downtown ballpark designBy P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer
Published: 2/6/2009 6:59 PM
Last Modified: 2/6/2009 6:59 PM
The initial artist concept of the downtown ballpark exterior has been thrown out and a new design plan is in the works which officials think will be a home run.
“This will be unique to anything around,” said Steve Boyd, of HOK Sport during a brainstorming session on the ballpark design at the Tulsa Stadium Trust meeting Friday.
Mayor Kathy Taylor, also a trust member, said it is important for ONEOK Field to have a “warm inviting feeling.”
“This is a family venue for events other than baseball. It should be complimentary to the area and inviting to visitors,” Taylor said.
The multipurpose stadium will be home to the city’s Double A baseball team, the Tulsa Drillers. During off season it will host a variety of events.
A conceptual rendering of the stadium released late last year evoked the Prairie School architectural style that was made famous by Frank Lloyd Wright featuring flat roofs, broad overhanging eaves and horizontal lines. It had elements of stone, structural steel and glass.
It wasn’t clear Friday whether the exact style will remain, but Boyd said the structure will be contemporary. The exterior materials, however, will change to brick and Zink with glass used at the team store, ticketing areas, and the suites in the interior of the stadium.
Boyd said the final design will capture Tulsa’s Art Deco details, the color forms of Oklahoma’s terrain and the city’s modern movement.
The stadium site is in the historic Greenwood District, nestled against Interstate 244, bounded
by Elgin Avenue and Archer Street, and abutting the backside of the businesses along Greenwood Avenue.
Greenwood sits between Brady and Blue Dome entertainment areas all of which are filled with historic brick buildings, but yet only a few blocks away sits the 15-story high-tech, glass-encased City Hall building.
The firm is expected to submit a final design within 30 days. Trust Chairman Stan Lybarger said there is only a 30 to 45 day flex period to complete the design without interrupting the construction schedule.
The trust did view the final concourse design depicting the location of the five public entry areas, rest rooms, concessions, ticket booths, various seating areas and other spaces in relation to the field.
The trust also approved receipt of the $4.1 million ONEOK naming rights which is part of the total $5 million the company is donating to the project.
The trust now has received $10.3 million, or a third of the $30 million in private donations pledged to the $60 million project.
Lybarger said some of the donations, which are in the form of sponsorships for a variety of elements within the stadium, cannot be finalized until the design is completed.
The trust expects to receive the bulk of the donations at the end of this year and beginning of 2010, he said. There are a few donations that will be paid over a three-year period, he said.
The $60 million project includes construction of a $39.2 million multipurpose stadium and acquisition of surrounding land for mixed-use redevelopment.
In addition to the private donations, the project will receive $25 million from a special downtown property assessment and $5 million from the Drillers’ lease.
The trust also was updated on the construction progress, which is on track with the schedule.
The clearing of the site is complete, and competitive bidding is occurring on individual construction items.
The trust was told that despite the aggressive schedule, it is fully expected the construction will meet the deadline of having the stadium ready for the 2010 baseball season.
By P.J. LASSEK World
